By AHson Appelbe
Staff writer

CITY COUNCIL IS EXPECTED to start planning this week for a major rapid-transit link between downtown, Richmond and Vancouver International Airport.

Council has been asked by the Greater Vancouver Regional District to join the second phase of a three-part process to determine whether a billion-dollar north-south connector is needed.

The most recent study on the proposed link, in 1992, favoured running automated light rapid transit (ALRT) down the Cambie Street corridor. A tunnel would be built from Broadway to 17th Avenue. An elevated guideway, similar to Sky-Train, would complete the system.

The second option proposed a high-speed train running underground from downtown's Waterfront Station to 37th Avenue, then at street level the rest of the way.

Since that time, the city has declared Cambie Boulevard, between King Edward Avenue and South-west Marine Drive, a heritage site. However, heritage designation aimed at protecting exceptional trees does not rule out using the corridor for public transit.

"It hasn't really been explored," said city planning director Ann McAfee. "If a senior level of government.[built the line], I don't know what the status of the heritage boulevard would be."

McAfee pointed out that the southern end of the boulevard lacks the spectacular sequoia trees of the portion near Queen Elizabeth Park.

"The bigger question is--is there a demand, and who's going to come to the table with a billion dollars," McAfee said. "If there aren't answers to those questions, it doesn't make much sense pursuing what the route is going to be." The 1992 cost estimate for a line between the city and Richmond was $780 million. In 2000, tunnelling the line and extending it to the airport would push the amount well over $1 billion.

The last of three 1992 options for the route was the Arbutus corridor.

The Canadian Pacific Railway, currently involved in a lawsuit widh the city over jurisdiction of the land, has put the property on the market for about $100 million.

CPR spokesman Andrew Massil, who headed a public consultation process on the future of the corridor earlier this year, said the CPR would not be involved in choosing a north-south transit route, The study will determine if there is demand for the service and "an appetite" among study participants-including senior governments - to build the system.